Surface condenser.



PATENT'ED APR. 7, 1903.

R. D. TOMLINSON.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

APPLIMTION TILED AUG. 26, 1902..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

PATENTED APR. '7, 1903.

R. D. TOMLINSON.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2e, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BO MODEL.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORN EY Tu: Noms paens co, PNcTaLl'mn, wAsmNsmN o c UNlTE Smarts ROYAL D. TOMLINSON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 724,971, dated April 7, 1903.

Application filed August 26,1902. Serial lilox 121,089. (No model.)-

.jet condensers; but no means have been bey fore available for realizing their advantages with surface condensers.

The feed-water when pumped into the boiler containsacertain quantity of air, which is liberated and accompanies the steam through the engine.

In my apparatus the:

condensation of the steam is gradual, com mencing among the warm tubes near the top i and becoming more complete at the several levels below. The thin fluid matter remaining uncondensed changes its condition greatly, first having only the ordinary very small proportion of air; but after the steam has been mainly condensed the thin gaseous matter remaining and continuing to move downward in the same manner as the steam will be `almost entirely air. My apparatus is 'adapted to utilize this change of the character of the uncondensed fluid in connection with a surface condenser and by pumping out but a small volume to attain a better vacuum than usual with n o increased expenditure of power.v

I bring the exhaust-steam from the engine through a large pipe oering practically no resistance, introducingit into the surface condenser at the top, and remove the Water and air from the bottom. I take the air, with a very small admixture of uncondensed steam, from a series of equal apertures equally spaced near the bottom, and thus remove it uniformly from all points in the base of the condenser, taking it away by an ordinary quick-acting dry-air pump. I combine with this a reservoir at a lower level to receive the water, obviously much less than with a jet condenser. In this reservoir the water-surface may rise and sink as the water is received The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification. y

Figure lis a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation, certain portions being in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection through a portion, showing a modification. Fig. 4 is a corresponding end view, partly in cross-section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion thus modified. It is on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the same portion of one of the transverse perforated tubes, modified by omitting the longitudinal ribs and substituting trumpet-shapedlipssurrounding each of the large orifices.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

D is the condenser; D', a pipe which brings the condensing water from any convenient source, as a circulating-pump, (not shown,) and D2 is the delivery-nozzle, through which such water is discharged.

There are in the condenser D two horizontal partitions D3 and D* about equally spaced. The circulating Water, entering cold through the pipe D', traverses the length of the condenser three times, being received at the bottom at the right hand in Fig. l and moving along the bottom to the left, where it :rises and moves at the mid-height to the right, where again it rises and moves through the upper portion of the condenser to the left, f

the bottom of the condenseraf ter having traveled through the joggled spaces between the pipes from the top downward and being further condensed at everystep the thin gaseous matter remaining is composed largely of air. I ,take this to the dry-air pump from each side of the condenser near the bottom. (See Figs. l and 2.)

It is important that the steam be circulated as uniformly as practicable through the whole interiorofthecondenser. Thespreader-plate D5 contributes to this end; but there may remain considerable pockets in which the steam does not circulate actively and which, becoming filled with the air which remains after the condensation of the steam, defeats the efficiency of such portions of the condenser. I insure uniformity of the delivery from all parts of each side along the bottom and also promote the even distribution of the steam I during the whole of its descent by arranging equally-sized and equally-spaced apertures d in a continuous row, one at each side near the bottom, with provisions for drawing the gaseous matter, mainly air, out uniformly through all these-apertures.

It is not possible by the spreader-plate D5 to introduce the steam into the spaces between the mass of pipes DG so as to exactly conform to the resistances encountered at different points. The greatest liability to such pocketsis at the ends; -butifthe spreader throws the steam greatly toward the ends the mid-length is liable to pocket, which term I use to mean becoming filled with air, which is stationary, or nearly so,4 and greatly reduces the efciency of the apparatus.

The effect of my arrangement is to induce a uniform descent of the steam throughthe spaces between the condenser-tubes D6 at each end and through all vthe intermediate portions of the condenser.

It will be understood -that the condensing water flows through the lowermost tubes D6 in its coldest condition, through the tubes at ,the mid-height in a medium condition of warmth, and in passing through the highest tubes it is raised very nearly to the temperature of the incoming steam; but these successive increases in the warmth of the water at each level and the more minute increase at the several successive stages in c`ach tube being colder at the end where it enters and warmer at the end where it leaves does not defeat the advantage due to the uniformity of the distribution of the steam attained by my invention.

The thin gaseous matter, mainly atmospheric air, with a varying but always small proportion of uncondensed vapor drawn out uniformly through the passages d, is led up- Award through curved pipes E,secu red to each,

into connecting-pipes E', of which one eX- Y tends longitudinally on each side of the condenser, as clearly shown'in Fig. 2v. After extending beyond one end of the condenser these pipes E connect by elbows with upright pipes E2, and these are joined by another elbow and extension E3 and led into a large T, which connects with the bottom of a Vessel F and extends a little upward into the interior thereof. This vessel is provided with inclined perforated partitions or screens F and serves as a separator to arrest and lead downward any remaining water or oil in the steam. Such liquid is led down by a pipe L into the condense-water receiver J and is taken away by the wet-air pump K. The air, as I will now term it, thus rid of the last remaining condense liquid, is carried upward about thirty-three feet through a pipe G, a part of which is broken out to reduce the size of the drawing, thence led horizontally through a pipe G, and finally downward through a pipe G2 into the induction-port of a quick-working pump H, reciprocated by steam or othersuitable power, (not shown,) and which serves as the dry-air pump to force out all the thin air thus received into the atmosphere.

It is important to avoid ever carrying dense liquid into the dry-air pump II, even when through any derangement, as a fracture of a tube D, a large quantity of such shall be momentarily drawn out-through the pipe E.

The water of condensation, sometimes known as condense-water, together with the water which may have leaked through any small defect in the joint and any oil which may be present, is carried through a different course. It gathersin the bottom of the condenser D and descends through a pipe I into an intermediate chamber or reservoir J. rlhis should be of sufficient capacity to allow the fluctuations in quantity due to the intermittent working of a slow air-pump K, driven by a steam-engine or other suitable power,which performs the usual functions of an air-pump, drawing out the requisite quantity of Water to maintain uniform conditions in the apparatus.

C represents shields cast on the inner faces of the condenser', one on each side, covering the junctions of each row of the Aorifices d, which communicate with the pipes E. These shields have the effect to insure that any water trickling down the inner faces of the interior shall be defiected and caused to fall to the bottom of the condenser under all circumstances. If there is not other room for these rows of shields, I omit such number of tubes as shall be required to allow sufficient space.

I attach importance to the fact that the shielded apertures d, through which the air is taken out to lbe led up to the dry-air pump, are arranged at low points in the condenser, because the gaseous matter is more largely air in the lower portions than in the higher portions of the condenser. The gaseous matter in the pipe C is mainly steam when it is received and distributed by the plate D5 in ali portions of the top; but the steam becomes condensed in descending between the cold tubes D6, while the originally small proportion ofair therein remains unchanged in quantity, and it becomes a larger and larger proportion as the gaseous matter moves downward. By locating the apertures d low and IOO Ils

, shielding them so that they do not receive the descending drops of water these apertures d and the connected pipes E, &c., take ont, mainly, air.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing 4the advantages of the invention. There may be great changes in the proportions of the parts. The tubes may be larger or smaller than shown. I propose usually to employ small and thin tubes supported at two points intermediate. The condensing water may make a greater number of returns. I esteem it important to the most complete working that it returns one or more times and that the coldest tubes-those which allow the first travel of the water across the space between the tube-sheets--be at the bottom and the warmest be at the top or near the surface, whichever it be, where the steam is received, so that the incoming steam will be carried well in among the closely-packed and warm tubes, so that it will continue to be moved toward the colder delivery at the bottom before the condensation has proceeded so far as to liberate much air. I want all the air shall be dragged along and practically all the steam shall be condensed before the mixture reaches the` level of the apertures d.

Fig. 3 shows a modification which in theory gives a still more even draft from all parts of the base of the condenser. In this form a few more of the condenser-tubes are omitted, taking care, if necessary, to add a little to the breadth or depth of the condenser to accommodate a sufficient number, and large tubes D7, each liberally perforated along the bottom, are extended across the interior of the condenser from the apertures CZ on one side to the corresponding apertures on the other side. They tend to guard against the possible forming of any pocket at any intermediate points between the two sides of the condenser. In the high vacuum which my invention aids to maintain the air and steam or the air alone, whichever it may be, possesses so little force that its flow from the central part to the sides to give the uniform descent at allpoints which is desired may be materially promoted by providing the straight smooth ways afforded by these cross-tubes. The-apertures d7 in the bottoms of these should all be large; but I prefer that those near the mid-length be CD n.12

larger or nearer together, or both, than near each end. The material of these open-bottom cross-pipes may be thin, as there is veryl little strain on them. Their whole duty is to shed off the denser liquid and afford the thin gaseous matter so free a flow from all parts of the bottom that the descent in the irregular spaces between the condenser-tubes shall be uniform throughout the whole condenser.

I have shown ribs extending along on each side of the row of bottom apertures in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 shows pendent lips instead. Various other forms may be used. The object is to be certain to shed off the water descending from above and allow only air to enter and be conducted laterally.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a dry-air pump and a wet-air pump with a surface condenser having shielded apertures d at low points in the condenser and provisions for taking out the air therefrom independently of the water, arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

2. The combination of a dry-air pump and a Wet-air pump with a surface condenser provided With .apertures d distributed in lines along the delivery portion and with pipes E leading from such apertures to the dry-air pump adapted to equalize the movement of the mixture of steam and air through the several spaces, all substantially as herein specified.

3. The combination of a dry-air pump and a wetair pump with a surface condenser pro- 9c vided with apertures d distributed in the delivery portion and with pipes E leading from such apertures to the dry-air pump adapted to equalize the movement of the steam and air through the several spaces, and with a above set forth I affix my signature in presl ence of two witnesses.

R. D. ToMLINsoN.

Witnesses:

J. B. CLAUTICE, M. F. BOYLE.

IOO 

